For years now, the combustion engine has been the predominant source of power for land and water vehicles, as well as aircraft. As the number of vehicles have steadily increased, along with greater awareness of the energy crisis and the demand for cleaner air and environment, the disadvantages and shortcomings of the combustion engine have become more apparent and obvious. In this regard, the combustion engine is basically and fundamentally an inefficient power source and even under the best of controls, emits pollutant gases that are harmful and unhealthy. Additionally, combustion engines are noisy, large and bulky in terms of their horsepower capacity and, of course, requires petroleum fuel which is increasingly in short supply. Moreover, the life of combustion engines is limited, and they require substantial maintenance and upkeep and often require expensive and troublesome repair.
In short the conventional combustion engine is an inherently inefficient power source and does not adequately meet the present needs and requirements of today's people. There is a real need for a clean, efficient propulsion system that is dependable as well as reliable and which does not depend on petroleum fuel to the degree of dependence of the conventional combustion engine. The CO, hydrocarbon result is a lethal poison and dreaded environmental concern. Certainly the air quality indexes in this country as well as other lands will not support O.sub.2 replenishment forever as the current hydrocarbon increment rate increases.